Display-rack.



Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

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DISPLAY-RACK.

Specification of Letters Batent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

Application filed July 24, 1914. Serial No. 852,815.

To all 'wlzomiz, may concern: Be it known that I, Josnrn SnAMANs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Display-Racks, of which the follou- 'ing is a specification, reference being. had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to display stands or racks for displaying belts, suspenders, and

like articles, and has for its object to provide an improved displayjrack of such construction that the article's displayed Wlll be protected from removal by unauthorized parties. I accomplish this object as illustrated in the drawings described.

That which I believe to be new is set forth in the claims.

. In the accompanying drawings-'Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved disand as hereinafter play rack; Fig. 2 is a plan View of the rack frame, the cover-plate being removed: Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail,- being a partial side elevation of one end portion of the rack frame; Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section on line 44 of Fig. 3;and Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail, being an under side view of the parts shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings,6 indicates the frame of the-rack,which is adapted to be supported in a horizontal position upon a standard or rod 7 having a base 8. The standard 7 is preferably attached to the rack frame by being screwed into a suitable socket attached thereto, so that it may readily be removed,said socket being placed at the longitudinal center of the rack frame so that said frame is balanced, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The rack frame comprises base 9, which supports the other parts of the device, a cover-plate 10 which extends longitudinally over the central part of the base 9, a series of pins 11 which project laterally at the sides of the base 9, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, and protecting bars 12 which are pivotally supported by the base 9 and are of such shape as to overlie the outer ends of the pins 11, as illustrated in Fig. 4. i

racktl1at is to say, one having pins or hooks projecting at both sides of the base 9, but I wish it to be understood that hooks may be provided at only one side, if desired,

In the drawings I have shown a double although I prefer the double construction shown. Inasmuch as the construction of both sides of the base isthe same, the corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference numerals.

As best shown in Fig. 2, the upper surface'of the base 9 is provided with two longitudinal channels 13 at opposite sides of its center line, in which channels are fitted rods 14 which are arranged to. move longitudinally to a slight extent. Mounted upon said rods 14 are springs 15 which are placed in recesses 16 formed intermediately in the channels 13. One end of each spring 15 bears against a washer 17 fitted upon the rod 14 and located in the recess 16. The other end of each spring bears against stops 18 provided upon the rods 14, as shown in Fig. 2. Thus, when a rod 14 is moved to the right from the position shown in Fig. 2, the spring 16 will be compressed and will tend to restore the rod tov its normal position.

The protecting bars 12 are U-shaped, as shown in Fig. 2, their ends 19 being bent at right angles to the intermediate portions of said bars and being fitted upon and secured to the ends of the rods. 14 so that they move longitudinally therewith. Thus, by moving the rods 14 longitudinally, the protecting bars may also be moved in the same direction. The protecting bars 12 are preferably made of angle-iron and their straight intermediate portions overlie the outer ends of the pins 11, which are turned up to form hooks 20, as best shown in Fig. 4. Said hooks lie in the angles of theprotecting bars 12 when the latter are in normal or horizontal position as shown in Fig. 4. It will be evident that by suspending belts, suspenders, etc., from the pins 11 by means of their buckles, when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 4,

the suspended articles, cannot become removed, but by rocking the protecting bars 12 to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 the hooks 20 may be exposed to permit of the removal of the articles suspended on them. The rods 14 are adapted torock as well as to move endwise;- and to facilitate moving them endwise as Wellv as rocking them, said rods are provided at the righthand end, as shown in Fig. 2, with depending arms 21, as best shown in Fig. 4. By grasping the arms 21, the rods 14 may be easily drawn endwise and then rocked, as

will be more fully hereinafter set forth.

' The'cover-pl'ate 10,as has been explained,

fits upon the central part of the base 9 and extends longitudinally thereof, being fixedly secured thereto by screws or other devices. The side edges of said plate overlie the bent ends 19 of the protecting bars 12, and when the latter are in their normal position, prevent them from rocking. lVhen, however, the protecting bars 12 are moved longitudinally, their ends 19 are brought opposite recesses 22 in the side margins of the plate 10 near its ends, as shown in Figs. 1 and 1, and they may then be swung upward sufliciently to expose the hooks 20, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. t. Thus, endwise movement of the protecting bars 12 is necessary in order that they may be swung to eX- pose the ends of the hooks 20. In addition to this mode of normally locking the protecting bars 12 in operative position, they are further so locked by reason of the fact that the arms 21 extend down through L- shaped passages 23 in the base 9, as shown in Fig. 5,said arms normally lying in narrow channels 24: which form a part of such L-shaped passages, forming shoulders 25 against which the arms 21 normally abut, as shown in Fig. 5. It will be apparent that in order to swing the arms 21 to rock the protecting bars 12 upwardly, it is first necessary to draw them to the right, as shown in Fig. 5, sufficiently to clear the shoulders 25, after which they may be rocked in the manner indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4.

26 indicates hooks secured at the under side of the base 9, as shown in Fig. 5, and adapted to engage the arms 21 to prevent said arms from being drawn to the right. These hooks being on the under side of the base, are out of sight and any uninformed person attempting to operate the arms 21 to expose the hooks 20 would not know how to do so without making much more of an examination of the device than he would be apt to have an opportunity to give it. Informed persons, however, could readily operate the device by grasping one of the arms 21 and at the same time slipping the hook 26 aside out of engagement with said arm.

27 indicates a push-button or thumb-piece fitted at one end of the base 9 adjacent to the arms 21 to provide a convenient resting place for the operators thumb in operating the device. It also serves the purpose of misleading unauthorized persons into supposing that the protecting bars may be re .leased by pressing said button, and aids in preventing such persons from learning the correct way of releasing such bars.

28 indicates a number of belts suspended from the pins 11.

When the operator wishes to remove one of the articles suspended from the hooks, he draws the protecting frame toward him by pulling forward on one of the depending arms, after first swinging aside the locking hooks, and then swings the arm to throw the protecting frame up and expose the hooks on which the belts or other articles are suspended. After the removal of the articles, he releases the arm, whereupon the weight of the protecting frame causes it to drop to its horizontal position, and the spring 15 at once pulls it back to its normal or looking position. It will be seen, therefore, that the protecting frame is automatically restored to operative position as soon as it is released by the operator. The operator may then swing the locking hook 26 back into engagement with the arm 21.

lVhile I have described with considerable particularity the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, I wish it to be understood that my invention is not restricted to the specific details of the construction shown and described, except in so far as they are particularly claimed. I

That which I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

1. A display-rack, comprising a base, one or more supporting members carried thereby for supporting the articles to be displayed, a longitudinally-movable rocking protecting member mounted on the base and adapted to coiiperate with said supporting member to prevent removal of the articles carried thereby, means preventing said protecting member from rocking until after it has been moved longitudinally out of its normal position, an arm carried by said protecting member for operating the same, and means carried by the base and adapted to engage said arm to prevent longitudinal movement of said protecting member.

2. A display-rack, comprising a base, one or more supporting members carried thereby for supporting the articles to be dis played, a longitudinally-movable rocking protecting member mounted 011 the base and adapted to cooperate with said supporting member to prevent removal of the articles carried thereby, means preventing said protecting member from rocking until after it has been moved longitudinally out of its normal position, an arm carried by said protecting member for operating the same, and a hook carried by the base and adapted to engage said arm'to prevent longitudinal movement of said protecting member.

3. A display-rack, comprising a base, one or more hooks projecting laterally therefrom, a rod mounted on said base and movable longitudinally thereof, a frame connected with said rod and adapted to overlie said hooks, an arm connected with said frame for swinging the same and moving the same longitudinally, means engaging said arm to prevent swinging of said frame when the latter is in its normal position, and a spring mounted on said rod for returning said frame to its normal position when released.

1-. A display rack comprising a base, one or more supporting members carried thereby for supporting the articles to be displayed, a protecting member mounted on the base for cooperation with said supporting member to prevent removal of the articles carried thereby and adapted to rock to permit the removal of such articles, and locking means to prevent the rocking of said protecting member when the latter is in normal position, said protecting member being longitudinally movable for withdrawing the same from engagement with said locking means to permit the swinging of the protecting member.

5. A display rack comprising a base, one or more hooks carried thereby for supporting the articles to be displayed, a frame comprising a single bar pivotally mounted on said base and adapted to overlie said hooks and to be swung upward out of operative relation therewith, said frame being longitudinally movable of its axis to bring the frame into position to be swung, means on the base to lock the frame against swinging movement when the frame is in its normal position said means having notches to permit the frame to be swung when moved longitudinally from its normal position into register with said notches, and means mounted on the base for securing said frame against longitudinal movement.

JOSEPH SEAMANS. Witnesses:

JOHN L. JACKSON, WILLIAM A. FURNNER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

